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Thursday, August 25, 2005 - Web posted at 8:11:26 GMT We were treated like criminals: taxi drivers ELMA ROBBERTSAT the very moment Works Minister Joel Kaapanda was instructing the Namibia Bus and Taxi Association (Nabta) to clean up its act, some members and taxi operators who came from near and far for the event were sitting outside after being refused entrance. |
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Kaapanda addressed Nabta's congress at Otjiwarongo last weekend. Abilas //Gaseb, Nabta Chairperson of the Erongo Region, along with Simon Ulamba, Chairperson of the Swakopmund taxi rank for long-distance operators, were two of those members. They had travelled to Otjiwarongo planning to take part in the election of a new executive committee. According to //Gaseb, members from the Erongo Region were not even informed of the congress and received no registration forms beforehand. They responded to an open invitation to taxi operators and Nabta members that was broadcast on NBC television last week. When they arrived at Otjiwarongo, though, they were refused entrance by Police and Special Field Force officers because they had not registered. "This is no democratic way of doing things," he said. "All Nabta members have a right to be involved at such occasions. We all pay our dues to Nabta and if people stop supporting the association, it can't exist." //Gaseb, who is also a Councillor at Swakopmund, is especially offended by media reports claiming that those who got the door slammed in their faces were troublemakers and the presence of the Police was justified. "The Police were already there when we arrived," he said. "Although we were all completely co-operative and none of us did as much as raise our voices, we were treated like criminals who were trying to disrupt the proceedings. This sort of publicity can harm one's reputation." Although there was seemingly no lack of room to accommodate everybody, the group of about 12 representatives who came from various regions just to be cold shouldered weren't even allowed to sit outside and listen, but were promptly herded away from the venue. |
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